JP7464338B2 - Systems and methods for treating artificial turf - Google Patents

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY This patent application claims priority to commonly assigned European Patent Application No. EP20185342.1, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TREATING ARTIFICIAL TURF," filed on July 10, 2020, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of artificial turf. More specifically, certain embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for recycling artificial turf.

Artificial turf carpets, especially third generation artificial turf carpets for ball games such as soccer, rugby, and American football, are typically filled with sand or alternative mineral infill materials and rubber elastic infill granules. The sand or other mineral components (also called non-synthetic infill) are typically used to hold down the installed turf carpet in a floating manner and in combination with the elastic infill material (also called synthetic infill) to provide a dimensionally stable turf structure and shock mitigation effect. The infill typically mimics the shock mitigation properties of natural grass and also provides a stable footing for the player similar to natural grass. In particular, the rubber infill material provides good traction for the player's foot movement on the artificial turf surface, thus reducing the possibility of the player suffering joint, tendon, and ligament injuries. The rubber infill may also protect the player from severe skin burns.

Artificial turf carpets have a limited life span due to use and exposure to the elements, such as exposure to UV radiation and temperature fluctuations (e.g., very high surface temperatures in summer and freezing conditions in winter). During that life span, the artificial turf carpet loses its ability to provide sufficient shock cushioning and/or sufficient ball roll at its surface due to exposure to mechanical stress, climate changes, weathering (e.g., exposure to UV radiation and reactive components in the atmosphere such as ozone), and contact with chemicals such as quaternary ammonium salts or salts of hypochlorite used as antimicrobial agents for disinfection treatment of turf surfaces. The expected life span of an artificial turf carpet is approximately 10-15 years, after which the turf carpet and infill materials show signs of material fatigue due to constant mechanical stress and chemical/environmental influences. Additionally, the fibers and infill may lose color and may become discolored.

In addition, the polymers forming the artificial turf carpet, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, styrene-butadiene copolymer or styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer, may partially degrade and lose their mechanical functions, such as tensile strength and resilience, so refurbishing an expired artificial turf carpet for continued use for sports is costly and time-consuming.

Patent application EP20180186327 ("Artificial turf fibres comprising polymer waste and compensating polymers", assigned to SportGroup-Polytex) describes a method of how to compensate for the loss of physical properties of artificial turf carpets after the first product life by using a compensating polymer and the application of a UV-stabilizing package. Patent application MX2019004153 ("Method for recycling waste-containing polyolefins", assigned to Fraunhofer Ges. Forschung) discloses a method for recovering the polymer via a solvolysis process, followed by partial precipitation and liquid filtration. However, both methods require a high degree of separation of the components of the turf structure in the field before starting the recycling process. That is, both methods require that the polymer material from the fibres is essentially free of infills such as mineral components like sand, as well as other polymers, moisture and debris from the primary and secondary backings.

Patent Publication No. PT3138677 ("Process for Separating Synthetic Grass Products" assigned to Re-Match (UK) Ltd) discloses a process combining three defined successive stages of dry synthetic grass separation: compaction, air classification, and sieving. However, it is difficult to achieve sufficient separation quality for further use of the separated fraction as a recycled artificial grass component, considering that for example PE fiber fragments and PP woven backing fragments have similar material densities and are therefore difficult to separate even with multiple sets of sieves and air classifiers. In general, the achieved fiber cutting or, in the case of solvolysis, the achieved polymer precipitation is agglomerated and/or granulated, allowing the polymer mass to be added to the fiber extrusion process. However, the required high level of separation, as well as the accompanying agglomeration and/or granulation processes requiring high energy consumption, limit the possibility of recycling expired artificial grass carpets for similar uses.

The industry is also looking at other possibilities for reusing the fibrous polymer material of artificial grass carpets after their first life beyond their primary use as components of new artificial grass carpets. Patent application WO 2012138216 A1 (assigned to Ten Cate Thiolon B.V., entitled "Method for forming a substrate for a sports surface for a sports pitch, said substrate and a sports pitch provided with said substrate") discloses using a fibrous material to produce aggregates from fiber beats and granulate the aggregates to form granules to be used in elastic substructures such as in-situ built elastic layers. These elastic layers have the function of a water-permeable shock-absorbing layer, allowing the drainage of the field. However, the granules typically contain polyethylene, polypropylene and/or polyamide, which are not elastic, and therefore do not contribute to the shock absorption of the substructure. To achieve shock absorption, a mixture of these granules with styrene-butadiene or natural butadiene rubber recycled granules, for example from passenger car and/or truck tires, may be used. The use of non-elastic polymer granules is similar to the use of gravel in polyurethane rubber mixtures. However, the production of these granules in an agglomeration and granulation process is an expensive and energy-intensive process, and the use of (sophisticated twin-screw) extrusion lines requires a high degree of separation of the PE, PP and PU and/or styrene-butadiene latex backings. In particular, the separated fraction must be essentially free of silica sand, otherwise expensive extrusion tools will wear out. As a result, the processing costs of non-elastic granules are comparable to the costs of widely available gravel, and therefore lack economic viability.

What is needed is a system and method for processing artificial turf that does not require extensive separation of turf composites having various thermoplastic polymer components such as PE, PP and PA (which have different melting points) and various thermoset polymer components such as sulfur crosslinked EPDM, and especially does not require extensive separation of hard mineral components (e.g., components having a Mohs hardness of 7 or greater, such as silica sand) that would otherwise wear down processing equipment.

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for treating artificial turf as described by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims. The embodiments of the invention may be freely combined with one another if they are not mutually exclusive.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a method for treating artificial turf comprising providing an artificial turf having an artificial turf infill, separating at least a portion of the infill from the artificial turf, compacting the artificial turf into artificial turf pieces, and tumbling and transporting the artificial turf pieces at a pressure less than a predetermined maximum pressure to form a melt. In one embodiment, the predetermined maximum pressure is between about 0.08 bar (8 kPa) and about 20 bar (2000 kPa). The artificial turf infill may include a mineral infill, such as sand, and/or a performance infill, such as an elastomeric infill, and/or a natural fiber infill. In another aspect, the artificial turf may be free of any infill.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a melting system for treating artificial turf. The melting system includes a chamber having a chamber wall, a proximal end and a distal end, the chamber configured to heat to a predetermined temperature, the proximal end having at least one input port configured to receive the pieces of artificial turf. The pieces of artificial turf treated in the chamber include up to 85 wt% infill, and the distal end has at least one output port. The melting system may further include a mixing unit configured to tumble mix and translate the pieces of artificial turf from the proximal end to the distal end to form a melt in the chamber with the pressure in the chamber being less than a predetermined maximum pressure. The predetermined maximum pressure is between about 0.08 bar (8 kPa) and about 20 bar (about 2000 kPa). In one aspect, the artificial turf pieces, or artificial turf pieces that have been premixed and then received by the chamber as a premixed material (also referred to as a mixed material) through one or more input ports, as described further below, are heated and move through the chamber to form a melt before reaching one or more output ports at the distal end. In another aspect, at least one output port is configured to pass the melt, or in other words, the melt flows through the output port.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a mold casting formed by a method for processing artificial turf disclosed herein, the method comprising the steps of providing an artificial turf having an artificial turf infill, separating at least a portion of the infill from the artificial turf, compacting the artificial turf into artificial turf pieces, and tumbling and transporting the artificial turf pieces at a pressure less than a predetermined maximum pressure to form a melt, the predetermined maximum pressure being between about 0.08 bar (about 8 kPa) and about 20 bar (about 2000 kPa). The melt can then be induced to fill one or more molds to provide one or more mold castings. The artificial turf infill can include a mineral infill, such as sand, and/or a performance infill, such as an elastomeric infill, and/or a natural fiber infill. In another aspect, the artificial turf can be free of any infill.

In the following, several embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail, by way of example only, and with reference to the drawings.

1 illustrates a method for treating artificial turf according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

2 is a schematic diagram of an artificial turf melting system for treating the artificial turf of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

3 is a schematic diagram of a longitudinal cross-section of a portion of the chamber of FIG. 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

3 is a schematic of a portion of the chamber of FIG. 2 illustrating the distance _dw between the outer paddle edge and the inner surface of the chamber wall according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

1 is a schematic of a primary mixer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

2 is a schematic diagram of a floor panel formed by the method of FIG. 1 for treating artificial turf according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

2 is a schematic diagram of a floor panel formed by the method of FIG. 1 for treating artificial turf according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

2 is a schematic diagram of a floor panel formed by the method of FIG. 1 for treating artificial turf according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

2 is a schematic diagram of a floor panel formed by the method of FIG. 1 for treating artificial turf according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

2 is a schematic diagram of a floor panel formed by the method of FIG. 1 for treating artificial turf according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The description of various embodiments of the present invention is presented for illustrative purposes and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terms used in this specification are selected to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or technical improvements over the art found in the market, or to enable those skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for treating artificial turf includes providing an artificial turf having an artificial turf infill, separating at least a portion of the infill from the artificial turf, compacting the artificial turf into artificial turf pieces, and tumble mixing and transporting the artificial turf pieces at a pressure less than a predetermined maximum pressure to form a melt. In one embodiment, the predetermined maximum pressure is between about 0.08 bar (8 kPa) and 20 bar (2000 kPa). These features may have the advantage of preventing increased wear on the components of the shred mixing system and reducing the processing time and/or costs associated with preparing artificial turf shreds having very little mineral infill, while processing artificial turf shreds having a large percentage of infill, such as mineral and elastomeric infills, particularly a large weight percentage of mineral infill, such as sand (e.g., silica sand), a large weight percentage of performance infill, such as elastomeric infill, a combination of a large weight percentage of mineral infill and performance infill, or a combination of a large weight percentage of mineral infill, performance infill and natural fiber infill (such as burlap fibers, jute fibers, cotton fibers, wool fibers, hemp fibers, flax fibers, kenaf fibers, nettle fibers, sisal fibers, coconut fibers, walnut fibers, and combinations thereof) to form a melt of artificial turf shreds. For example, according to one embodiment, the artificial turf section includes up to about 85 wt% infill, such as up to 85 wt% mineral infill, up to 85 wt% performance infill (e.g., elastomeric infill), up to 85 wt% mineral and performance infill, or up to 85 wt% mineral infill, performance infill, and natural fiber infill.

However, in other embodiments, the artificial turf may not include any infill.

In one embodiment, the artificial turf pieces are premixed with the separated infill to form a mixed material including up to 85 wt % infill. In another embodiment, the artificial turf pieces are premixed with mineral and/or elastomeric components of the infill separated from the artificial turf, or with infill or infill components provided from another source. In one embodiment, tumble mixing and transporting the artificial turf pieces includes tumble mixing and transporting the mixed material.

In one embodiment, the mineral infill is separated from the elastomeric infill. This feature may have the advantage of recycling the mineral infill and/or elastomeric infill by adding it to the grass fragments or material mixture to reduce adhesion of the material mixture composed of fragments tumbling and transported from the surface of the melt system, aiding the material flow through the melt system, providing fire retardant properties, and/or providing certain physical properties (appearance, certain haptic features, product thickness dimensions, static/dynamic friction properties, strength, tensile, stretch, etc.) to the cast product produced from the melt.

In one embodiment, a minimum of 60 wt% of the infill is separated from the artificial turf. This feature can have the advantages of reducing processing time, reducing the generation of excess dust and other impurities during the separation process, reducing wear on conventional separation machinery, and reducing costs.

In one embodiment, the average size of the artificial grass pieces is about 0.1 cm to 25 cm, preferably about 0.5 cm to 5 cm. These characteristics may have the advantage of using unusually large grass pieces due to the use of lower pressures in the melting process compared to the pressures used in conventional extrusion processes.

In one embodiment, the artificial turf pieces are tumble mixed and transported at a predetermined temperature. Advantageously, the predetermined temperature may be based on one or more melting temperatures of one or more thermoplastic components of the artificial turf pieces, which may be determined by visual inspection of the artificial turf or by accessing an artificial turf composition database that includes predetermined temperatures (or temperature ranges) based on composition, thereby streamlining the mixing/melting process and ensuring that all thermoplastic components are melted.

In one embodiment, tumble mixing and transporting the artificial turf pieces includes tumble mixing and transporting the artificial turf pieces in a chamber. The chamber has a proximal end, a distal end, at least one input port located at the proximal end for receiving the artificial turf pieces, and at least one output port located at the distal end through which the melt flows. The transport further includes translating the artificial turf pieces toward the distal end of the chamber. In another embodiment in which premixed artificial turf material (i.e., infill and premixed turf pieces) is introduced into the chamber via the input port, the tumble mixing and translational transport further includes tumble mixing and translating the mixed material (also referred to as a material mix) toward the distal end of the chamber. These features may have the advantage of transporting the pieces or material mix from the proximal end toward the distal end while being mixed in a rotational sense (i.e., providing translational movement), thereby using a mixing process to tumble mix the mixture and translate toward the output while a melt is formed from the pieces or material mix.

In one embodiment, the pressure in the chamber is equal to or less than a predetermined maximum pressure, which is caused by the forward translation of the fragments or material mixture in the chamber. The pressure in the chamber may also depend on other features of the chamber, such as the dimensions of the chamber output port and the configuration of the mixing/translation unit (also called the mixing unit) of the chamber, including the number of paddles, the paddle shape, the orientation of the paddles in the chamber, the distance between the paddles and the chamber wall, etc. Elements of the mixing unit are further described below in conjunction with the melting system. In another embodiment, the predetermined maximum pressure is less than 20 bar (2000 kPa), preferably 0.02-20 bar (2 kPa-2000 kPa), more preferably less than 10 bar (1000 kPa), and even more preferably less than 8 bar (800 kPa). These features may have the advantage of forming a melt of artificial turf pieces by processing artificial turf pieces having an increasing proportion of infill, such as mineral and elastomeric infill, particularly increasing weight percent of mineral infill, such as sand (e.g., silica sand), and/or performance infill, and/or natural fiber infill, while preventing increased wear on the components of the system that tumbles and translates the pieces or material mixture, and reducing processing time and/or costs associated with preparing artificial turf pieces with very little mineral infill. Additionally, this feature may have the advantage of reducing the cost, complexity, and maintenance of the melt system by eliminating the need for high pressures required in conventional extrusion processes.

In one embodiment, at least one additive is added to the artificial turf pieces. In another embodiment, at least one additive is added to the material mixture. In another embodiment, the additive includes at least one of one or more pigments, one or more additional polymers, one or more flame retardants, and a measured amount of minerals. These features may have the advantage of aiding the melt process by reducing or eliminating adhesion of the pieces or material mixture to surfaces of the processing system that contact the pieces or mixture, and/or by facilitating the flow of the pieces or material mixture through the melt system from input to output, and/or by providing products made from the melt (e.g., cast moldings) with specifically designed physical properties or characteristics, such as color and degree of abrasion, UV stability, among others.

In one embodiment, the melt is directed or placed into one or more molds to provide a molded casting. These features may have the advantage of providing a non-extruded product via a more cost-effective process, and of specifically processing the artificial turf pieces or material mixture with abrasive mineral additives to produce a product with specifically designed physical properties and characteristics suitable for a particular use.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a melting system for treating artificial turf is provided. The melting system includes a chamber having a proximal end and a distal end, the chamber configured to be heated to a predetermined temperature, the proximal end having at least one input port configured to receive pieces of artificial turf, the artificial turf pieces treated in the chamber including up to about 85 wt % infill, such as mineral and/or performance infill, and the distal end having at least one output port. The melting system further includes a mixing unit configured to tumble mix and translate the artificial turf pieces from the proximal end toward the distal end to form a melt in the chamber with the pressure in the chamber being less than a predetermined maximum pressure. The predetermined maximum pressure is between about 0.08 bar (8 kPa) and 20 bar (2000 kPa). The output port is configured to pass the melt. These features may have the advantage of forming a melt of artificial turf pieces by processing artificial turf pieces having a large percentage of infill, such as mineral and elastomeric infill, particularly a large weight percent of mineral infill, such as sand (e.g., silica sand), and/or performance infill, and/or natural fiber infill, while preventing increased wear on melt system components and reducing processing time and/or costs associated with preparing artificial turf pieces having very little mineral infill. For example, according to one embodiment, the artificial turf pieces processed in the chamber include up to about 85 wt % infill, such as mineral and/or performance and/or natural fiber infill.

In one embodiment, the mixing unit includes one or more paddles, each of which is mechanically coupled to the rotatable longitudinal portion via a connecting portion. The one or more paddles are configured to rotationally mix and translate the fragments or material mixture toward the distal end of the chamber when the rotatable longitudinal portion is rotated. The chamber includes a chamber wall and at least one heating unit, the at least one heating unit having one or more heating elements located on an outer surface of the chamber wall. The system further includes a power source mechanically coupled to the rotatable longitudinal portion, the power source configured to rotate the longitudinal portion, and the control unit is electrically coupled to the power source and the heating unit of the chamber. Each heating unit may include one or more heating elements disposed on the outer surface of the chamber, although alternatively or additionally, each heating unit may include one or more heating elements disposed within the chamber wall. The control unit may include a processing unit or may alternatively be coupled to an external processing unit, for example, an external computer or computing system. The control unit may optionally include a memory including a database and an input/output user interface, the control unit configured to access the database and receive user input to determine the rotational speed of the longitudinal portion of the mixing unit and the predetermined temperature of the chamber. The control unit is also configured to control the power source and heating elements to achieve the rotational speed of the longitudinal portion of the mixing unit and the predetermined temperature of the chamber. These features have the advantage of automating the control of the process chamber and automating the determination of the process parameters of the chamber.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a mold casting is formed by the method disclosed herein for processing artificial turf, the method comprising providing an artificial turf having an artificial turf infill, separating at least a portion of the infill from the artificial turf, compacting the artificial turf into artificial turf pieces, and tumbling and transporting the artificial turf pieces at a pressure less than a predetermined maximum pressure to form a melt, the predetermined maximum pressure being about 0.08-20 bar (about 8-2000 kPa). The melt may then be induced to fill one or more molds to provide one or more mold castings.

According to several embodiments of the present disclosure, the mold casting includes a floor panel. Floor panel embodiments include a floor panel having one or more sides configured to receive adhesive for attaching each of the one or more sides to each of one or more sides of one or more adjacent floor panels to connect (i.e., secure) the floor panel to one or more adjacent floor panels, a floor panel having one or more sides, at least a portion of each side of the one or more sides including one or more of a recess, a protrusion, and a flange for connecting the floor panel to one or more adjacent floor panels, and a floor panel having sides including any combination of one or more of adhesive, flanges, protrusions, and recesses for fixedly and/or removably connecting the floor panels to each other.

These features can have the advantage of efficiently and cost-effectively providing molded articles having specifically designed physical properties and characteristics due at least in part to the mineral content present during processing. The molded articles include, but are not limited to, components for floor panels, shock mitigation in children's playgrounds, or pathway structures disposed around artificial turf playgrounds, or pathways used for other outdoor activities, such as horse riding paths or bicycle paths, or walls used in athletic facilities.

1 illustrates a method 100 for treating an artificial turf according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In step 102, an artificial turf is provided. In one embodiment, the artificial turf includes infill materials including non-synthetic (i.e., natural) infills such as sand infills (e.g., silica sand) or other mineral infills such as zeolites, and/or performance infills such as elastomeric infills (e.g., rubber or any polymer infill), and combinations thereof. Performance infills are infills that may aid or contribute to the performance of an activity performed on the artificial turf and may also reduce the severity of injury and/or significantly reduce the risk of injury. For example, performance infills may have a cushioning effect, reduce skin injuries caused by sliding on turf, and/or aid in traction. Other infill materials may include natural fibers such as burlap fibers, jute fibers, cotton fibers, wool fibers, hemp fibers, flax fibers, kenaf fibers, nettle fibers, sisal fibers, coconut fibers, walnut fibers, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment, the artificial turf is provided from the location where it was previously installed (i.e., the installation site). The artificial turf typically has a limited lifespan, depending on the type of use, environmental conditions, and/or composition of the artificial turf. Once the artificial turf exceeds its lifespan, the components of the artificial turf can be recycled for use as components of new artificial turf or to provide a different product or products to be used in conjunction with the artificial turf. According to one embodiment, the artificial turf is provided from the installation site by cutting the artificial turf at the installation site into pieces, rolling the pieces into cylindrical bundles or other shaped configurations that may optimize storage space and transportation, and transporting the pieces to a turf treatment site. The advantage of providing the pieces of artificial turf from the installation site to the turf treatment site is the reduction of dust and other impurities generated at the turf treatment site, as well as the reduction of turf processing time as a result of cutting the turf on-site into smaller, manageable and transportable pieces. In another embodiment, the entire artificial turf is removed from the installation site and transported to a treatment site for further processing. In yet another embodiment, the artificial turf is provided by receiving the artificial turf or parts of the artificial turf at a treatment site.

In optional step 104, the artificial turf infill is separated from the artificial turf. In a preferred embodiment, the separation is performed at an artificial turf processing site, but the scope of this disclosure covers separating the infill from the artificial turf on-site, thereby reducing the weight of the artificial turf for transportation and reducing the amount of dust and impurities generated by the separation process at the processing site.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a vacuum cleaner and/or a mechanical beating and/or vibration device known in the art is used to separate at least a portion of the infill from the artificial turf. Techniques and machines for separating infill from artificial turf are known in the art and will not be described in further detail.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, up to 40 wt% of the infill may remain on the artificial turf after separation of the infill from the artificial turf, in a preferred embodiment, 10-20 wt% of the infill may remain on the artificial turf, and in a further preferred embodiment, 1-15 wt% of the infill may remain on the artificial turf, however, the range of the present disclosure covers more or less infill remaining on the artificial turf after separation. For example, in other embodiments, 40 wt% or more of the infill may remain on the artificial turf after separation of the infill from the artificial turf.

In optional step 106, the separated infill is further separated into one or more of the respective infill components. For example, the separated infill is processed by separating the non-synthetic sand infill and/or other mineral infill from one or more of the performance infill and/or natural fiber infill. In one embodiment, either a series of screening or wet flotation separation processes, or both screening and wet flotation separation processes performed sequentially, are used to separate the sand infill from the elastomeric infill, such as rubber granule infill. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the infill separated in step 104 is further separated into at least a first component of sand having an average particle size of about 0.2-1.0 mm and a second component of elastomeric infill having an average particle size of about 0.5-2.5 mm. The first and/or second infill components may be used later in the processing method 100, as further described below, or may be used as components in other products, such as, for example, cement. Wet flotation processes for separating particles having different densities are known in the art and will not be described in further detail here.

In step 108, the artificial turf is crushed and/or shredded (i.e., reduced to artificial turf fragments). In one embodiment, a shredder, granulator, cutting mill, chipper, high pressure grinder, and/or other type of crushing/shredding industrial machinery used to reduce the size of materials may be used to reduce the artificial turf to artificial turf fragments. In one embodiment, the artificial turf fragments have an average size ranging from about 0.1 cm to 25 cm. In a preferred embodiment, the artificial turf fragments have an average size ranging from about 0.5 cm to 5 cm. However, the ranges of the present disclosure cover fragments having an average size greater than 25 cm and/or less than 0.1 cm. In further embodiments, the size distribution may be a Gaussian distribution around any average size value within the preferred range. However, the ranges of the present disclosure cover any non-Gaussian size distribution of fragments within the preferred range. The artificial turf fragments may include synthetic and non-synthetic components such as one or more of sand, performance infill, fiber, backing material, adhesive, pigment, and combinations thereof. In preferred embodiments, the artificial turf sections include about 10-20 wt% non-synthetic infill, performance infill, or a combination of both, and in further preferred embodiments, about 1-15 wt% infill. However, the scope of the present disclosure covers artificial turf sections having more than 20 wt% infill.

In optional step 110, the artificial turf pieces are processed by a primary mixer to form a premixed artificial turf material, also referred to herein as a mixed material or material mix. The primary mixer includes a conventional industrial mixer for mixing shredded and/or ground products, such as compacted artificial turf or other synthetic and/or non-synthetic fabrics. Primary mixers are known in the art and will not be described in further detail.

In one embodiment, a predetermined amount of minerals, such as sand, is added to the primary mixer along with the artificial turf pieces to form the material mix. The predetermined amount of sand depends on the amount of sand selected in the final product and the amount of residual mineral infill remaining in the artificial turf pieces. In another embodiment, an amount of minerals is added such that the mineral content in the material mix is up to 85 wt% of the material mix, and in a preferred embodiment, 20-85 wt%. For example, minerals such as sand may be added to the primary mixer with the amount of sand being any one of 20-30 wt%, 30-40 wt%, 40-50 wt%, 50-60 wt%, 60-70 wt%, 70-80 wt%, or 80-85 wt% of the material mix.

In another embodiment, one or more additives are added to the primary mixer with the artificial turf pieces to form the material mixture. As described in more detail below in conjunction with step 112, the additives may include one or more dyes or pigments to color the material mixture, one or more polymers to aid in the flow of the material mixture in the chamber and prevent adhesion of the material mixture to the surfaces of the melting system, fire retardants and/or a quantity of minerals such as sand, and combinations thereof.

In step 112, the artificial turf pieces, or optionally premixed artificial turf material (i.e., material mixture), are processed to form a melt. The artificial turf pieces (or optionally mixed material) processed in the chamber may include up to about 85 wt.% mineral and/or performance infill. In one embodiment, the artificial turf pieces (or optionally mixed material) are tumble mixed and translated at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure below the maximum pressure to form a melt. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an artificial turf melting system is used to further process the artificial turf pieces (or optionally mixed material), as further described below in conjunction with FIG. 2.

As further described below in conjunction with FIG. 2, the melting system comprises a processing chamber having at least one input port for receiving the artificial turf pieces or mixed material and at least one output port through which the melt flows. The melting system further comprises a mixing unit for tumbling and mixing the material and translating the material from the input port to the output port, one or more heating units for heating the material in the chamber to a predetermined temperature, and an optional control unit for controlling the processing chamber.

In one embodiment, the predetermined temperature (or predetermined temperature range) is selected by an operator of the system or is determined by the control unit based on data input by the operator to the control unit. The predetermined temperature is a temperature above the melting temperature of the thermoplastic components of the artificial turf pieces. Thermoplastic components include, for example, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polyamide (PA). The artificial turf pieces may also include thermoset components such as polyurethane (PU) and latex that have strong crosslinks of the polymers that resist melting, as well as sand or other mineral infill that does not melt under the temperature/pressure conditions of the present disclosure. For example, in one embodiment, the predetermined temperature range is about 100°C to 400°C, however, in a preferred embodiment, the temperature of the material in the treatment chamber is about 110-240°C, in a more preferred embodiment, 110-210°C, and in a further preferred embodiment, 110-190°C. In one embodiment, the highest temperature of the predetermined temperature range is selected, for example by an operator of the melting system, below the melting temperature of the infill component having the lowest melting temperature of all infill components present in the artificial turf section or material mix. In another embodiment, the highest temperature of the predetermined temperature range is selected below the ignition temperature of the infill component having the lowest ignition temperature of all infill components present in the artificial turf section or material mix. As further described below in conjunction with FIG. 2, the system may have a database (or access to a database) from which the predetermined temperature is determined based on data entered into the system by the operator, such as the composition of the artificial turf.

In another embodiment, the predetermined maximum pressure of the processing chamber (or the predetermined maximum pressure range of the processing chamber) is selected by the operator of the system or is determined by the control unit based on data entered into the control unit by the operator. In one embodiment, the predetermined maximum pressure range is less than about 20 bar (about 2000 kPa), in a preferred embodiment, about 0.8-20 bar (about 8-2000 kPa), in a more preferred embodiment, less than about 10 bar (about 1000 kPa), and in a further preferred embodiment, less than about 8 bar (about 800 kPa). Operating the processing chamber at these pressures allows materials having a hard abrasive content (i.e., Mohs hardness greater than about 6), such as up to 85 wt. % silica sand infill, to be processed in the chamber without any damage or excessive wear to the melting system components. As further described below in conjunction with FIG. 2, the system may have a database (or access to a database) from which the maximum pressure (or maximum pressure range) is determined based on data entered into the system by an operator, such as the composition of the artificial turf.

Further, step 112 may optionally include adding one or more additives to the chamber along with the grass pieces (or mixed material) through the input port or sometime after the grass pieces (or mixed material) have been introduced into the chamber and tumble mixed and/or translated forward from the input port to the output port. For example, the additives may include one or more dyes or pigments to color the material, one or more polymers to aid in the flow of the material through the chamber and prevent adhesion of the material mixture to the surfaces of the melting system, fire retardants, and/or a measured amount of a mineral material, such as a measured amount of a sand infill component and/or a performance infill, that was separated from the artificial turf in steps 104-106.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, pigments such as Fe2O3 Red or Cr2O3 Green may be added to the processing chamber to modify the color of the mixture to impart a desired color to the product produced by the melt. According to an embodiment, the pigment addition ranges from 0.2 to 1.5 wt% of the material mixture. Furthermore, the pigments may be added in the form of a color masterbatch that may additionally include UV stabilizers such as hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) and/or phenolic UV absorbers and/or antioxidants and/or oxygen scavengers to protect the final product from UV weathering and oxidation processes. Other additives may also be added, for example, to improve the haptics, appearance, and/or performance of the material and the resulting product of the material.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, one or more polymers, such as waste product from fiber extrusion (fiber cutting) of artificial turf, including polyethylene, typically with a melt flow index of 0.8-5.0 (e.g., 2.16 kg per 10 minutes at 190° C.), may be added to aid in the rotational and/or translational flow of the material mixture or turf pieces in the treatment chamber and to aid in increasing the homogeneity of mineral materials (e.g., sand) in the material mixture of the turf pieces. Other polymers that may be added include waste plastics and aged plastics, such as plastics recovered from the ocean (i.e., marine plastics) or landfills.

In one embodiment, a fluorinated polymer is added to the material mixture or grass fragments to prevent or reduce adhesion of the material mixture to melting system component surfaces, such as chamber walls, input/output ports, and surfaces of the mixing unit. Any adhesion of the material mixture to melting system component surfaces increases the risk that the polymer components of the material mixture will thermally degrade through the high temperature baking process, resulting in poor product quality. In one embodiment, a fluorinated polymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is added in an amount of about 0.01-0.06 wt% of the material mixture. However, because mineral components in the material mixture, such as sand, prevent baking of the polymer in the processing chamber, and because embodiments of the material mixture include unusually high mineral content (e.g., up to 85 wt%), the amount of fluorinated polymer may be in the lower range of 0.01-0.06 wt%, or even lower than 0.01 wt%. In one embodiment, no fluorinated polymer is added to the material mixture.

As an alternative to fluorinated polymers, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, non-fluorinated materials such as silicone polymers, polyethylene glycols, or viscoelastic materials such as borate cured silanols or polyols, or combinations thereof, may be added to the material mixture to prevent or reduce adhesion of the material mixture to the surfaces of components of the melting system, such as chamber walls, input/output ports, and surfaces of the mixing unit. The use of non-fluorinated additives results in less toxic waste products resulting from the processing of artificial turf fragments through the melting system.

Turf material components, except for silica sand, are generally flammable. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a fire retardant additive, such as aluminum trihydroxide (ATH), MgCl2, or ammonium polyphosphate, may be added at a rate of about 5-60 wt% of the material mixture. However, because mineral components in the material mixture, such as sand, have a fire retardant effect, and because embodiments of the material mixture include unusually high mineral content (e.g., up to 85 wt%), the amount of fire retardant additive may be in the lower range of 5-60 wt%, or may be lower than 5 wt%, or may not be added to the material mixture at all.

According to another embodiment, a measured amount of sand or other mineral material is added to the turf pieces so that the exact mineral content of the material in the chamber is known and controlled. For example, if the final product created from the melt of the material in the chamber requires a specific amount of static and/or kinetic friction between the surface of the product and an external object (e.g., a ball, person, or machine contacting the surface, etc.) and/or a specific action as a result of contact with such an external object, a measured amount of sand, other minerals, and/or other hard abrasive material (natural or synthetic) can be added to the turf pieces in the chamber to produce the desired characteristics of the final product. For example, minerals can be added to the chamber to create a material that includes turf pieces and minerals (wherein the minerals make up up to 85 wt% of the material, and in a preferred embodiment, is 20-85 wt%). For example, minerals such as sand can be added to the grass fragments in the chamber, with the amount of such sand being any one of 20-30 wt%, 30-40 wt%, 40-50 wt%, 50-60 wt%, 60-70 wt%, 70-80 wt%, or 80-85 wt% of the material in the chamber.

In step 114, a portion of the material (i.e., grass fragments mixed with minerals or premixed material mixture) that has traveled forward through the chamber from the input port to the output port is in the form of a melt before or when it reaches the output port and is output from the output port. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the melt flows from the output port in the form of one or more threads and can be directed to a shaping process including filling one or more molds. In another embodiment, as the threads exit the output port, the one or more threads can be cut into segments resulting in cylindrical pieces of material that can be temporarily stored in a material buffer before being directed to one or more molds. As the threads exit the output port, the one or more threads can be cut into segments or the threads can be directed to a water bath and the threads can be cut into segments underwater. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to cutting threads to form cylindrical pieces, but includes cutting and/or forming the melt that flows from the output port into any shape, size, or design.

After the melt in the mold cools and solidifies, the solidified melt is removed from the mold, thereby providing a non-extruded molded casting. In one embodiment, in contrast to known extrusion processes in which the melt is forced under high pressure through a die to form a die cast product, the melt flows through the output port only when subjected to the force of chamber pressure caused by the movement of a mixing unit transporting the material mixture forward within the chamber from the input port in the direction of the output port, or when, for example, a cylindrical chamber transports the material mixture longitudinally of the processing chamber.

According to another embodiment of the molding process, the mold may be filled with threads or substantially cylindrical pieces under temperature and/or pressure control. For example, a pressure of 20-300 bar (2000-30000 kPa) may be applied to the mold after the mold is filled with threads or cylindrical pieces at approximately atmospheric pressure. In another embodiment, talc powder or a known release agent is applied to the mold to coat the inner surface of the mold, thereby aiding in the release of the product from the mold upon solidification. However, since mineral components in the material mixture, such as sand, function as release agents, the present disclosure covers embodiments in which the mold is little or not coated with release agent at all.

In a further embodiment, in-mold coating (IMC) is used to achieve different surface colors, glosses, and/or textures on the molded casting. IMC can be achieved with solvent-based or water-soluble PU systems. For example, an IMC compound is applied to the inner surface of the mold before the melt is placed in the mold. Upon cooling and hardening of the melt in the mold, the IMC can adhere to the outer surface of the cast part, imparting a glossy appearance to the product, reducing the abrasiveness of the outer surface of the product, and/or facilitating removal of the cooled and hardened melt from the mold.

In one embodiment, a fluoropolymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) may be applied to the inner surface of the mold by spraying the PTFE or by immersing the mold in a PTFE solution. According to one embodiment, the mold coating compound may be formed from 80-83 wt% nickel, 9-11 wt% phosphorus, and 8-9 wt% PTFE. However, the scope of this disclosure covers other mold coating compounds that are not fluoropolymers, such as tungsten disulfide.

According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, the molded article may be used, for example, as a component for shock mitigation in a children's playground or a pathway structure located around, for example, an artificial turf playground, or as a pathway used for other outdoor activities such as a horse riding path or a bicycle path, or as a wall or a component of a wall in an athletic facility.

In one embodiment, the wall thickness of the molded article depends on the mineral content (e.g., sand content) of the melt. According to one embodiment, the minimum wall thickness of the molded article may be about 0.2 mm, and in a preferred embodiment, the wall thickness is greater than about 2 mm. For higher mineral contents, e.g., 95 wt. % sand, the wall thickness may be about 10 mm or more.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an artificial turf melting system 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The melting system 200 may be used to process the artificial turf pieces or mixed material described in conjunction with steps 112-114 of Figure 1.

In one embodiment, the melting system 200 includes a chamber 202 having a chamber wall 204, a proximal end 206, and a distal end 208. The melting system 200 includes one or more input ports 210 located at the proximal end 206, and one or more output ports 212 located at the distal end 208. As shown, the chamber 202 is cylindrically shaped about a longitudinal axis 213, has a longitudinal length L, and has a diameter d. The length L is greater than the diameter d. However, the scope of the present disclosure covers chambers 202 having other shapes, such as, for example, substantially rectangular or substantially elliptical chambers. According to another embodiment, as illustrated by FIG. 3 showing a longitudinal cross section of a portion of the chamber 202, the chamber wall 204 includes an outer surface 214A, an inner surface 214B, and at least one heating unit 216 including a heating element 217 in contact with the outer surface 214A of the chamber wall 204. For ease of illustration, only two heating units 216A and 216B are shown, however, the remaining heating elements 217 may be components of other heating units (not shown), which may include any number of heating elements. In one embodiment, the heating units may include electronics, thermostats, controllers, power sources, etc., and the heating elements may be conductive wires configured to wrap circumferentially around the exterior surface 214A of the chamber 202. The heating units and their corresponding heating elements may be housed in separate enclosures and electrically coupled together, or the heating units may house their corresponding heating elements. In another embodiment (not shown), at least a portion of the heating elements may be included in the chamber wall between the exterior surface and the interior surfaces 214A, 214B.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the melting system 200 also includes one or more mixing units 218. Each mixing unit 218 includes a rotatable longitudinal portion 220 and a plurality of mixers 222. As shown, each mixer of the plurality of mixers 222 includes a connector portion 224 connected to the longitudinal portion 220 and a mixing portion 226 connected to the respective connector portion 224. The connector portion 224 extends at an angle θ with respect to the longitudinal axis 213 of the chamber 202. Although FIG. 2 illustrates only one mixing unit 218, the scope of the present disclosure covers two or more mixing units 218, each having a rotatable longitudinal portion. For example, each rotatable longitudinal portion (i.e., rotatable axis) may be located parallel to, but not coincident with, the longitudinal axis 213 of the chamber 202, such that the multiple mixers of each mixing unit do not physically interfere with each other when the mixing units are operated (i.e., rotating).

In one embodiment, the connector portion 224 forms an angle θ with respect to the longitudinal axis 213, where 0≦θ≦180. In one embodiment, the angle θ may be based on the surface area of the mixing portion 226, the length L of the connector portion 224, and/or the overall shape of the surface 228 of the mixing portion 226 (e.g., flat, concave, convex). According to one embodiment, the value of θ, the surface area of the mixing portion 226, and/or the overall shape of the surface 228 of the mixing portion 226 is determined such that the material 230 in the chamber 202 is effectively rotationally mixed and translationally advanced (i.e., moving forward from the proximal end 206 of the chamber 202 to the distal end 208 of the chamber 202, or in other words, moving parallel to the longitudinal axis 213 of the chamber 202). For clarity, only a portion of the material 230 in the chamber 202 is illustrated. In one embodiment, the material 230 may be a material mixture or turf chips with added minerals. In another embodiment, the material 230 can be a combination of grass fragments and added minerals and a material mixture. The composition of the material 230 depends on whether a material mixture, grass fragments and added minerals, or a combination of both, is fed to the melting system 200 through one or more input ports 210. In addition, depending on where it is located in the chamber relative to the proximal end 206 and the distal end 208, the material 230 can be in a semi-molten state. Within the meaning of the present disclosure, the material in the chamber is effectively rotationally mixed and translated after several rotations (e.g., 1-5 rotations) of the longitudinal portion 220 about the longitudinal axis 213, and any material 230 in a first location in the chamber 202 moves to a second nearby location in the chamber (not shown).

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the one or more mixing portions 226 are configured as paddles. The paddles 226 may be elliptical, spherical, or polygonal in shape, and may have, for example, a smooth, rough, or jagged surface 228. As illustrated by FIG. 4, the distance d _w is the distance between the outer paddle edge 232 (i.e., the edge of the paddle closest to the inner surface 214B of the chamber wall 204) and the inner surface 214B of the chamber wall 204. The distance d _w may depend on one or more of the maximum average size of the turf pieces or material mixture placed in the chamber 202, the throughput (i.e., flow rate) of the material 230 in the chamber 202 parallel to the longitudinal axis 213, the rotational speed of the paddles 226, and the average amount of sand or other abrasive infill present in the artificial turf pieces by weight percent. The chamber pressure generated by the rotational movement of the paddles 226 may depend on the distance d _w as well as the rotational (i.e., angular) speed of the paddles 226. In one embodiment, _dw is equal to or greater than the average size of the artificial turf pieces or material mix, and in another embodiment, is equal to the maximum or about the maximum size of the artificial turf pieces or material mix.

Referring again to FIG. 2, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the melting system 200 includes a power source 234 and a control unit 236. The power source 234 is mechanically coupled to the rotatable longitudinal portion 220 of the mixing unit 218 and configured to rotate the longitudinal portion 220 through a range of angular velocities.

The control unit 236 is electrically coupled to the power source 234 and the heating unit 216 of the chamber walls 204. The control unit 236 may include one or more of a processing unit 238, a memory 240 including a database 242, and an input/output user interface 244. In one embodiment, the control unit 236 includes the processing unit 238, and the memory 240 and/or the I/O user interface 244 are components of an external computer or computing system (not shown).

In one embodiment, the control unit 236 can access the database 242 and receive user input via the user I/O interface 244 to determine the rotational speed of the longitudinal portion 220 of the mixing unit 218 and the predetermined temperature (i.e., operating temperature) of the chamber 202. The control unit 236 can control the power source 234 to achieve the determined rotational speed and the heating element 216 to achieve the determined predetermined temperature. The control unit 236 is also electrically powered by the power source 234.

The processing unit 238 may be a central processing unit such as a microprocessor and/or a microcontroller, and the I/O interface 244 may include a display and an operator input such as a keypad or touch screen. The memory 240 may be configured to store executable programs that control the operation of the processing chamber 202. For example, the memory 240 or an external memory, external hard drive, and/or an external computer (not shown) may store a database 242 having a set of multiple predetermined processing chamber operating temperatures and/or multiple predetermined processing chamber operating temperature ranges and/or artificial turf compositions. Each predetermined temperature and/or predetermined temperature range corresponds to a unique set of artificial turf compositions. For example, the artificial turf composition may include a weight percentage of each component of the artificial turf, including one or more percentages of sand, other infill, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, thermoplastic, thermoset material, and adhesive. In one embodiment, an operator may input, via the I/O interface 244, the composition of the artificial turf to be treated by the melting system 200, the predetermined maximum pressure (or the predetermined maximum pressure range), the mix rate, and/or the throughput rate, or any combination thereof.

The control unit 236 executes a program (i.e., software) stored in the memory 240 to control the melting system 200 upon receiving operator inputs, such as a predetermined temperature, a predetermined maximum pressure, a synthetic turf composition, a mixing rate, and/or a throughput rate. For example, the control unit 236 may control the length of treatment time, the chamber temperature, the throughput rate, the mixing rate, and/or the maximum pressure in the chamber 202 based solely on operator inputs, solely on data stored in the database 242, or a combination of both.

In one embodiment, the predetermined chamber temperature is selected by an operator or determined by the control unit 236 based on operator input of the composition of the artificial turf. The control unit 236 may then access the database 242 and determine the predetermined temperature from a temperature/composition database table (not shown) of the database 242. In one embodiment, the predetermined temperature (or temperature range) is at or above the melting temperature of each of the thermoplastic components of the artificial turf.

In another embodiment, the predetermined maximum pressure of the processing chamber 202 is selected by the operator or determined by the control unit 236 based on the weight percentage of the infill of the artificial turf pieces. According to an embodiment, as the weight percentage of the infill, or preferably the weight percentage of one or more of the abrasive infills, such as mineral infills, and/or the performance infills, and/or the natural fiber infills, of the artificial turf pieces increases, the predetermined maximum pressure of the chamber 202 during processing of the pieces or material mixture, including tumbling, mixing, heating, and moving the material 230 forward from the input port 210 to the output port 212, decreases, thereby reducing wear on the components of the melting system 200 (e.g., wear on the mixer 222, chamber walls 204, input/output ports 210, 212) and/or reducing frictional heat generation that may cause temperature fluctuations throughout the material 230 in the chamber 202.

In another embodiment, a predetermined maximum pressure determined by the control unit 236 or received by the control unit 236 as an operator input may be used by the control unit 236 to determine a maximum throughput rate and/or a maximum mixing rate (e.g., a rotational speed of the longitudinal portion 220 of the mixing unit 226) for rotationally mixing the material 230 inside the chamber 202, above which the pressure inside the chamber 202 may exceed the predetermined maximum pressure.

The control unit 236 may include, but is not limited to, one or more processors or processing units, a storage system, a memory unit, and a bus coupling various system components, including the memory unit, to the processor. The storage system may include, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD). The memory unit may include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) and/or cache memory.

5 is a schematic of a primary mixer 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The primary mixer 500 has an input 502 and an output 504. In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the input of the primary mixer 502 receives artificial turf pieces and minerals such as sand. The sand separated in step 106 of FIG. 1 can be used as the mineral input into the primary mixer. In one embodiment, a predetermined amount of mineral is added to the primary mixer along with the artificial turf pieces. The predetermined amount of sand depends on the amount of sand selected in the final molded product and the amount of residual mineral infill remaining in the artificial turf pieces. The primary mixer 500 receives the artificial turf pieces and the added mineral via the input 502, mixes the artificial turf pieces and the added mineral, and provides a material mixture to one or more input ports 210 of the melting system 200 via the output 504.

In one embodiment, an amount of minerals is added such that the mineral content in the material mixture is up to 85 wt% of the material mixture, and in a preferred embodiment, 20-85 wt%. For example, minerals such as sand may be added to the primary mixer, with the amount of sand being any one of 20-30 wt%, 30-40 wt%, 40-50 wt%, 50-60 wt%, 60-70 wt%, 70-80 wt%, or 80-85 wt% of the material mixture.

The primary mixer comprises a conventional industrial mixer for mixing shredded and/or ground products such as compacted artificial turf or other synthetic and/or non-synthetic fabrics. Primary mixers are known in the art and will not be described in further detail.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a floor panel 600 formed by the method for treating artificial turf disclosed herein, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

According to one embodiment, the floor panel 600 is a mold casting formed via the method for processing artificial turf disclosed herein. As illustrated by step 114 in FIG. 1, the melt flows from an output port in the form of one or more threads and can be directed to a molding process that includes filling one or more floor molds configured as floor panel molds. In another embodiment, as the threads exit the output port, the one or more threads can be cut into segments, resulting in cylindrical pieces of material that can be temporarily stored in a material buffer before being directed to one or more floor panel molds.

In one embodiment, the one or more floor panel molds are configured to provide one or more floor panels having an upper surface 602, a lower surface 604 substantially parallel to the upper surface, and one or more side surfaces 606 substantially perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces. The floor panel 600 is in the shape of a four-sided polygon, and in this exemplary embodiment is a square or rectangular polygon, although the scope of the present disclosure covers floor panels of any shape having any number of sides, including only a single continuous side (i.e., a side that has no discontinuities, e.g., no sharp edges or breaks in the surface of the face).

In one embodiment, the method 100 (FIG. 1) further includes applying adhesive to the one or more sides 606 to attach each of the one or more sides 606 to one or more respective sides of one or more adjacent floor panels (not shown) to secure the floor panel to the one or more adjacent floor panels (optional step 116). In this manner, multiple floor panels may be connected together to form a floor having floor panels locked in place. The scope of this disclosure covers all adhesives such as glue, tape, etc.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a floor panel 700 formed by the method for treating artificial turf disclosed herein, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, the floor panel 700 is a mold casting formed via the method for treating artificial turf disclosed herein.

In one embodiment, the one or more floor panel molds are configured to provide one or more floor panels having an upper surface 702, a lower surface 704 substantially parallel to the upper surface, and one or more side surfaces 706. As shown, at least a portion of each of the one or more side surfaces 706 includes one or more flanges 708. The flanges 708 of each of the side surfaces 706 are configured to match a respective flange of a side surface of an adjacent floor panel to connect the floor panel 700 to the adjacent floor panel. For example, flange 708A is configured to match a complementary flange 710A of a first adjacent floor panel 712, and flange 708B is configured to match a complementary flange 710B of a second adjacent floor panel 714.

7 also illustrates an exemplary optional floor panel component 716 formed by the method for treating artificial turf disclosed herein according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, the floor panel 716 is an interlocking component formed as a molded article via the method for treating artificial turf disclosed herein. However, the scope of the present disclosure covers any commonly known commercially available interlocking component for rigidly fastening two or more panels or other items together (e.g., wall panels, windows, window frames, etc.). The optional interlocking component 716 is configured to engage with an optional complementary interlocking component recess 718 formed in the upper surface 702 of adjacent floor panels 700, 712, 714, and 720 to lock the adjacent floor panels in place with each other. One or more of the floor panel molds (not shown) may be configured to provide the floor panel 700 with one or more interlocking component recesses 718.

However, the scope of this disclosure covers floor panels that do not have a locking component recess. In this embodiment, a pair of complementary flanges lock adjacent floor panels 700, 712, 714 and 720 in place relative to one another without the optional locking component 716.

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a floor panel 800 formed by the method for treating artificial turf disclosed herein, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, the floor panel 800 is a mold casting formed via the method for treating artificial turf disclosed herein.

In one embodiment, the floor panel mold or molds are configured to provide one or more floor panels having an upper surface 802, a lower surface 804 substantially parallel to the upper surface, and one or more side surfaces 806. As shown, at least a portion of each side of the one or more side surfaces 806 includes a dowel 808 and a dowel recess 810 (i.e., a recess configured to receive a dowel of an adjacent floor panel), and/or a hook 812 and a hook recess 814 (i.e., a recess configured to receive a hook of an adjacent floor panel). Although not shown, the scope of the invention covers floor panels, such as floor panel 800, in which at least a portion of each side of the one or more side surfaces 806 includes any combination of one or more of the dowels 808 and dowel recess 810, the hooks 812 and hook recess 814, and one or more of the flanges 708 illustrated in FIG. 7.

The dowels 808 and/or hooks 812 may be integral, continuous parts of the floor panel 800 formed via the methods for treating artificial turf disclosed herein, or floor panel components formed using respective floor panel component molds (not shown) via the methods for treating artificial turf disclosed herein and then attached to the floor panel 800 via adhesive or other means known in the art for attaching polymer-based products together, or commercially available dowels and hooks attached to the floor panel 800 via means known in the art.

In one embodiment, a peg or pin (not shown) may be inserted into the surface opening 816 and threaded through the dowel opening 818 to secure (i.e., lock) the dowel 808 in place in the respective dowel recess 810. In another embodiment, the floor panels may be moved laterally 820 relative to one another such that when the hook 812 of the floor panel 800 is inserted into the hook recess of the adjacent neighboring floor panel, and when the hook recess 810 receives the hook of the adjacent neighboring floor panel, the hook 812 is locked in place within each respective hook recess. The dowel recesses 810 may be configured to allow the corresponding dowel 808 to slide laterally within the dowel recess 810 such that the dowel opening 818 aligns with the respective surface opening 816.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a floor panel 900 formed by the method for treating artificial turf disclosed herein, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, the floor panel 900 is a mold casting formed via the method for treating artificial turf disclosed herein.

In one embodiment, the floor panel mold or molds are configured to provide one or more floor panels having an upper surface 902, a lower surface 904 substantially parallel to the upper surface, and one or more side surfaces 906. The floor panel 900 and adjacent floor panels (not shown) configured in the same manner have tongue and groove locking features for connecting the floor panels together.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of each side 906 of the floor panel 900 is configured to have a protrusion 908 and a groove 910 for connecting the floor panel 900 to an adjacent floor panel (not shown) with a corresponding groove for receiving the protrusion 908 and a corresponding protrusion for receiving the groove 910. The protrusion 908 and/or the groove 910 may be an integral continuous part of the floor panel 800 formed via the method for processing artificial turf disclosed herein using one or more molds having respective structures for providing the protrusion 908 and the groove 910 to the floor panel 900. Molds and mold casting are known and one of ordinary skill in the art has the requisite knowledge to design one or more molds for forming the floor panel 900.

Optionally, the floor panels 900 include ridge openings 912 and/or surface groove openings 914 to secure adjacent floor panels together via pins or pegs 916 that are received by the surface groove openings 914 and configured to pass through the respective ridge openings 912 of the ridges received in the respective grooves.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a floor panel 1000 formed by the method for treating artificial turf disclosed herein, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, the floor panel 1000 is a mold casting formed via the method for treating artificial turf disclosed herein.

The floor panel 1000 is similar to the floor panel 900, and like reference numbers represent the same structures. In one embodiment, one or more floor panel molds are configured to provide one or more floor panels having an upper surface 902, a lower surface 1004 substantially parallel to the upper surface, and one or more side surfaces 1006. However, in contrast to forming the slot 910 disclosed in conjunction with the floor panel 900 illustrated by FIG. 9, which is formed during a molding process using one or more molds having corresponding structures to create the slot 910 of the floor panel 900, the one or more molds associated with the manufacture of the floor panel 1000 are configured to provide one or more flanges 1008 at the lower surface 1004 of the floor panel 1000, and to provide one or more floor panel components (e.g., one or more plates 1010) configured to be received by the one or more flanges 1008 to form the one or more slots 910 of the illustrated floor panel 1000.

Floor panel 1000 and an adjacent floor panel (not shown) constructed in the same manner have a tongue and groove locking mechanism for connecting the floor panels together.

A computer system typically includes a variety of computer system-readable media. Such media may be any available media accessible by the computer system and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media.

Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be systems, methods, products, and/or computer program products. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium (or media) having computer-readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to perform aspects of the present invention.

A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can hold and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memories (RAMs), read-only memories (ROMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs or flash memories), static random access memories (SRAMs), portable compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROMs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), memory sticks, floppy disks, punch cards or mechanically encoded devices such as raised structures in grooves in which instructions are recorded, and any suitable combination of the above. Computer-readable storage media, as used herein, should not be construed as ephemeral signals themselves, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

Claims (12)

1. A method for treating artificial turf, comprising:
providing an artificial turf, the artificial turf including an infill;
Separating at least a portion of the infill from the artificial turf;
reducing the artificial turf into artificial turf sections;
tumbling and conveying the pieces of artificial turf to form a melt at a pressure less than a predetermined maximum pressure, the predetermined maximum pressure being between 0.08 and 20 bar ( 8 and 2000 kPa);
premixing the artificial turf shreds with the separated infill to form a mixed material containing up to 85 wt. % of the infill;
Equipped with
The method , wherein tumble mixing and transporting the artificial turf pieces comprises tumble mixing and transporting the mixed material . The method of claim 1, wherein the artificial turf pieces comprise up to 85 wt% of the infill. The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the infill comprises at least one of a mineral infill and an elastomeric infill. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the melt comprises the infill suspended as particles in the melt. 5. The method of claim 1 , wherein separating the infill from the artificial turf comprises separating a minimum of 60 wt% of the infill from the artificial turf. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the artificial turf pieces have an average size of between 0.1 cm and 25 cm. 7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein tumble mixing and transporting the artificial turf pieces at a pressure less than a predetermined maximum pressure to form a melt further comprises tumble mixing and transporting the artificial turf pieces at a predetermined temperature, the predetermined temperature being based on one or more melting temperatures of one or more thermoplastic components of the artificial turf pieces. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of tumble mixing and transporting the artificial turf pieces comprises tumble mixing and transporting the artificial turf pieces in a chamber, the chamber including a proximal end, a distal end, at least one input port located at the proximal end for receiving the artificial turf pieces, and at least one output port located at the distal end through which the melt flows, the transport further comprising translating the artificial turf pieces towards the distal end of the chamber. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the pressure in the chamber is less than or equal to the predetermined maximum pressure, the predetermined maximum pressure being less than 8 bar ( 800 kPa), and the pressure in the chamber is generated solely by translating the artificial turf sections in the chamber . 10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9 , further comprising adding at least one additive to the artificial turf sections. 11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the additive comprises at least one of one or more pigments, one or more polymers, one or more flame retardants, and a measured amount of a mineral. 12. A method of making a mold casting comprising placing the melt formed by the method of any one of claims 1 to 11 into one or more molds.

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